5G takes mobile gaming to new levels

Australian gamers and eSports fans got a taste of how 5G will transform mobile gaming in an ultra-low latency demo staged today by Ericsson, Intel and Telstra on Australia’s Gold Coast.

The demo returned data transfer (latency) rates of five-to-six milliseconds – about four times lower than current average 4G latency speeds - as professional Australian gamers The Chiefs experienced pro gaming over 5G. The demo was carried live on games-streaming platform Twitch.

With leagues and tournaments worldwide, eSports has a fanbase of tens of millions via live events and streaming – a fanbase that is growing rapidly.

Ericsson’s Managing Director Australia and New Zealand, Emilio Romeo, said the Gold Coast event, held at Telstra’s 5G Innovation Centre, showed how 5G’s ultra-low latency and high throughput can deliver greater efficiency and mobility across numerous uses.

“We’ve partnered with Telstra and Intel to deliver eSports professionals an unrivalled gaming experience with 5G, allowing them to play in a mobile setting while having the low latency they can only get today from a wireline network,” he said.

The demonstration used Ericsson’s advanced 5G test environment which implements and validates the technologies being standardised through 3GPP to implement 5G. The equipment used mmWave (Millimeter Wave) frequencies which opens up significantly more spectrum for operators which will in turn provide users with greater throughputs (capacity) for coming advanced applications.

The 5G system combines the advantages of high throughput, low latency with mobility so that users requiring high performance, such as professional gamers, get a wireline-like experience when on the move.

mmWave connectivity inside Telstra’s 5G Innovation Centre was used to power the demo, while Intel provided its 5G Mobile Trial Platform.

Telstra Executive Director Network and Infrastructure Engineering, Channa Seneviratne, said: “This gaming demonstration is a real-life example of how 5G might be used in the future.

“Latency is the time it takes for data to be sent between two points, so it is crucial in the world of gaming when milliseconds can literally mean the difference between winning and losing.

“eSports demonstrates how that is possible over 5G, a benefit of the new technology that will underpin a host of use cases.”

Jonathan Wood, Senior Director, 5G Market Development and Partnerships, Next Generation and Standards group, Intel, said: “5G will enable on-demand entertainment anywhere, making it more vibrant and immersive, and eSports is a prime example of a use case that gets significantly better with faster speeds, ultra-low latency, and massive capacity.”